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Summary

A post medieval water meadow system, known locally as a catchwater meadow, is visible on aerial photographs as a series of earthwork ditches in fields to the south of Kentisbury Mill, Kentisbury. A series of approximately parallel gutters were used to distribute flowing water evenly over the surface of the meadow in order to prevent freezing in winter and encourage early growth in spring, thereby providing extra feed for livestock. This system does not appear to be connected to any local farmyards, suggesting that this was a detached system which only distributed water to the fields and not liquid manure or other fertilisers.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CATCH MEADOW (Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1750 AD)
• WATER MEADOW (Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1750 AD)

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1655, NMR RAF/106G/UK/1655 4050-51 11-JUL-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349996.

A series of earthwork ditches are visible in fields to the south of Kentisbury Mill.

Cook, H. & Williamson, T. (eds.), 2007, Water Meadows: History, Ecology and Conservation (Monograph). SDV349525.

Page(s)1-7, 28-29

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S., 2011 - 2012, North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV349018.

A post medieval water meadow system, known locally as a catchwater meadow, is visible on aerial photographs as a series of earthwork ditches in fields to the south of Kentisbury Mill, Kentisbury. Centred at approximately SS 6195 4339 at least two, possibly three gutters are visible on a fairly steep west facing slope above an un-named stream or combe. The gutters vary in approximate length from 70 to 100 metres, and are between 1.5 and 2 metres wide. This system does not appear to be connected to any local farmyards, suggesting that this was a detached system which only distributed water to the fields and not liquid manure or other fertilisers.
Catchwater meadow systems used a series of approximately parallel gutters to distribute flowing water evenly over the surface of the meadow in order to prevent freezing in winter and encourage early growth in spring, thereby providing extra feed for livestock. Most catchwater meadows are believed to date to the post medieval period, although it is possible that they were first developed in the medieval period.
This description has been adapted from a monument record originally created as part of the Exmoor National Park National Mapping Programme (NMP) survey.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV349018	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S.. 2011 - 2012. North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. ACD383/2/1. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV349525	Monograph: Cook, H. & Williamson, T. (eds.). 2007. Water Meadows: History, Ecology and Conservation. Water Meadows: History, Ecology and Conservation.
SDV349996	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/106G/UK/1655. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR RAF/106G/UK/1655 4050-51 11-JUL-1946.

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6132 - North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty NMP Project

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